22 replies to this topic

[Deerslyr]

Do we have a thread on it?  If not, it's been so long I need someone to talk me through their best practices.

[Poptop]

There has to be a few threads on this topic. 

 

Personally, I save all the slurry ~ the whole shebang.  And that's what I pitch.

[Deerslyr]

There has to be a few threads on this topic. 

 

Personally, I save all the slurry ~ the whole shebang.  And that's what I pitch.

How long are you willing to keep it?  Not ready to brew for a bit...  Likely looking at August before I could use it again.

[Poptop]

I'd say I have used mine up to a month after jarring.  I think a lot of Brothers make starters with slurry as well.  Hopefully someone will chime in on this.  I just don't see a big point in separating/rinsing, but that's just me.

[SchwanzBrewer]

How long are you willing to keep it?  Not ready to brew for a bit...  Likely looking at August before I could use it again.

 

2 weeks would be my longest wait to use it. After that viability and storage condition becomes an issue. I'd buy a new pack of yeast and move on.

[Big Nake]

Something about saving the slurry in a container and then boiling some water and letting it cool and pouring that into the container with the yeast and then shaking it and putting it into the fridge. As it sits, it will form layers. Something like liquid on the top, yeast in the middle and hop & break material on the bottom. Try to pour out the liquid and then try to save the yeast and then dump the hop & break schputz. I'll be honest... I did this a few times and eventually said #### IT. I saw no benefit and WAY too much handling of the yeast. It's bad enough that I can't duplicate the sanitary conditions that a yeast lab would use. The more I handle the stuff the riskier things get. Also, I don't save yeast anymore. I brew on the same day I rack another beer out of primary, save the yeast and then pitch the amount of yeast called for by the MrMalty calculator. Usually somewhere in the 200-250ml neighborhood for a lager, 150-200ml for an ale.Brother Poptop: You pitch ALL of the slurry from another batch or just all of the slurry you save? There is probably enough yeast at the bottom of a primary to pitch into 8 or 10 more batches, IME.

[HVB]

I had this bookmarked but never bothered to try it.

 

https://www.donosbor..._wyeast_way.htm

[Poptop]

After racking off a cake, I add 8-10 ounces of clean water to the fermenter, swirl the contents and usually fill 4 or 5 x 8 oz sterilized mason jars, seal them and place them in the fridge.  I typically pitch 10 to 12 ounces of slurry and away we go.  I've never pitched any slurry over a month old and I'm sure there are a lot of variables and experiences out there.  I don't always save sludge but when I do, I approach my practice conservatively with great emphasis on sanitation.

[Big Nake]

I had this bookmarked but never bothered to try it. https://www.donosbor..._wyeast_way.htm

That's pretty good. Pics help a lot.My guess is that I gave up on this practice because I try very hard to get as little hop & break schputz into the primary in the first place. I know when I pour some yeast from a primary into a clean & sanitized flask that I'm getting more than yeast, for sure. I know there is hop & break material in there but it's minimal. Slightly overshoot the volume suggested by MrMalty or slide the controls to compensate for more or less non-yeast content and you're good. I'm not saying not to try washing but I would like to hear from anyone who said they noticed a difference or avoided some problem by washing.

[HVB]

That's pretty good. Pics help a lot.My guess is that I gave up on this practice because I try very hard to get as little hop & break schputz into the primary in the first place. I know when I pour some yeast from a primary into a clean & sanitized flask that I'm getting more than yeast, for sure. I know there is hop & break material in there but it's minimal. Slightly overshoot the volume suggested by MrMalty or slide the controls to compensate for more or less non-yeast content and you're good. I'm not saying not to try washing but I would like to hear from anyone who said they noticed a difference or avoided some problem by washing.

I saved it for the pictures!

[ChicagoWaterGuy]

I've switched to this carboy on its side method. 

 

[JMcG]

I've had good luck just racking off the beer and leaving a half to a quarter inch of so of beer on the cake (so the racked beer is still fairly clear, no finings), then swirling the carboy gently leaving the "sticky" layer on the bottom.  Pour into sanitized Mason jar and put lid on loosely.  Refrigerate.  Kept yeast cakes for up to two months this way. 

 

Most of the time you can tell the yeast is still viable because it continues to send globules of yeast to the surface (like a lava lamp) for quite a while.  If I brew within 3-5 days I'll use about 1/3 of the settled cake.  5-10 days 1/2 the cake.  Any longer and I usually make two 1 L starters and add a fat tablespoon of the compacted cake to each. 

I'm probably over-cautious.  Don't think it hurts.

[BarelyBrews]

I use 1/2 of a quart yeast slurry if it's fresh. I use it up to 4 weeks  ,then its dump time .And time for fresh yeast for me.

[Stout_fan]

Here's what I'm doing.  No guarantee if it works.

When fermentation done, dump the whole mess into a 5l Erlenmeyer flask.

Add one or two quarts of neutral 1.040 starter wort.

The active yeast will go into solution.

Rack off the active yeast and dump the trub.

Wait until fermentation is complete and the yeast floculates.

Rack off the spent beer (or if desperate, you COULD drink it)

Add one or more quarts of sterile water.

Swirl and wait until the yeast drops out.

Dump the water.

Rinse, repeat. one or two x.

With sufficient sterile water, swirl up the yeast and divide between several 8 oz jam mason jars.

Cover with sterile plastic wrap.

Secure the fringes with a rubber band.

I loosely fit a screw on lid I have.

Store in the fridge.

Supposedly good for up to 5 years.

So far I'm in the acquire mode.

I'll let you all know when I get one to a starter.

Supposedly it takes a bit longer since the yeast is dormant.

 

Loosely based on the OZ homebrewer podcast from several years back.

Edited by Stout_fan, 21 July 2014 - 07:17 PM.

[denny]

I've used yeast rinsed and unrinsed and decided it doesn't make a damn bit of difference.  Not rinsing is easier and reduces the chance of screwing up and infecting your yeast.  Look at this....httpss://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=19850.0

[MyaCullen]

I've used yeast rinsed and unrinsed and decided it doesn't make a damn bit of difference.  Not rinsing is easier and reduces the chance of screwing up and infecting your yeast.  Look at this....httpss://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=19850.0

concur 

[Deerslyr]

I've used yeast rinsed and unrinsed and decided it doesn't make a damn bit of difference.  Not rinsing is easier and reduces the chance of screwing up and infecting your yeast.  Look at this....httpss://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=19850.0

If properly kept with beer on top, how long can it be stored before it cannot even be revived with a starter?

[denny]

If properly kept with beer on top, how long can it be stored before it cannot even be revived with a starter?

 

Well, my personal record is 7 months to revive with a starter.  I've never tried anything older than that.

[Stout_fan]

I've used yeast rinsed and unrinsed and decided it doesn't make a damn bit of difference.

 

 

Well, my personal record is 7 months to revive with a starter.  I've never tried anything older than that.

This is compared to a reported 5 year lifespan for the sterile water storage technique = a damn significant difference.

That said, I haven't done this yet.  Guess I'll get back to you in 4 years and 6 months.

 

FWIW- Short term, I never considered it worth the hassle either.

[djinkc]

This is compared to a reported 5 year lifespan for the sterile water storage technique = a damn significant difference.

That said, I haven't done this yet.  Guess I'll get back to you in 4 years and 6 months.

 

FWIW- Short term, I never considered it worth the hassle either.

 

No way I would trust yeast that old simply kept in the fridge.  Maybe with the frozen glycerin technique.